Let's talk about the name. The Big Ten was quirky when they added Penn State to make it 11 teams. Then came Nebraska and it was funny that the Big Ten had 12 teams and the Big 12 had 10. For some reason, they added Rutgers and Maryland to bring it up to 14 and now with Washington, Oregon, UCLA, and USC, it's 18! Then again, remember the fiasco that was the Legends and Leaders conferences, so maybe rebranding isn't the Big Ten's biggest strength.
As for 2023, Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State lead the way as the top contenders and maybe Wisconsin makes a run with Luke Fickell in charge. Michigan will be without Jim Harbaugh for the first four games because of recruiting violations during the COVID-19 dead period and also his lack of cooperation during the investigation. But Harbaugh didn't even have the worst off-season for a Big Ten coach, that honor belongs to Pat Fitzgerald. The longtime Northwestern coach was fired after allegations of abuse within the program and failure to control the locker room. Allegations have also popped up against Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck for similar reasons, but the Gophers have not had the same reaction as their division foes.
For the final time, let's take a look at the 14 teams that comprise the Big Ten:
East
Michigan
Head Coach: Jim Harbaugh (9th Season, 74-25)
Last Year Record (Rank): 13-1 (2)
Preseason Rank: 2
Prediction: 11-1
What's Ahead: First let's talk about that Harbaugh suspension for the back-to-back Big Ten Champs. These suspensions of big-name head coaches in these situations are almost laughable. The four games Harbaugh will be suspended for ECU, UNLV, BGSU, and Rutgers. Michigan should win all four games with their second string, which is more of an indictment of this cupcake schedule up until the last three weeks of the season. The Wolverines are at Penn State before traveling to Maryland and then returning home for tOSU.
The Wolverines bring back a ton of talent on both sides of the ball including quarterback J.J. McCarthy, running back Blake Corum, defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, and corner Will Johnson. The biggest holes to fill are those left by DL Mike Morris, corner DJ Turner, center Olusegun Oluwatimi, and kicker Jake Moody. Most of those holes will be filled with senior experience, including kicker James Turner who comes over from Louisville. Still, if they can't find a reliable corner opposite Johnson, then there could be some long Saturdays in October and November. There's a lot of firepower to overcome most of the Big Ten teams, but those last three weeks should reveal who this team really is.
Ohio State
Head Coach: Ryan Day (5th Season, 45-6)
LYR: 11-2 (9)
PR: 4
Prediction: 10-2
What's Ahead: Unlike the Wolverines, the Buckeyes have been given a tougher course to navigate in 2023, especially on the road. That may be a recipe for disaster if they can't figure out who is going to throw the ball to Marvin Harrison Jr. Kyle McCord and Devin Brown Fortunately, whoever has the ball can just turn and give it to TreVeyon Henderson or the numerous other productive backs in the stable. The Buckeyes are so deep and productive at receiver and running back that it's mind-numbing that this team consistently finds ways to ignore them in games that matter in the past few years (Rose Bowl against Utah as the exception).
Back to the schedule if I may, the Buckeyes open on the road in Indiana before playing the Jim Tressel Bowl with Youngstown State (FCS). Another home game with a sneaky Western Kentucky team that will likely lose, but could expose any issues in the secondary. That all comes before a road test to Notre Dame and a visit from Penn State three weeks later (in Columbus). The Buckeyes head to Wisconsin the following week against former coach Luke Fickell and then they finish the season in the best place to go play pinball and win a Viking helmet, Ann Arbor. With too many questions under center and a few on the offensive line as well, this might be a step back for Ohio State, albeit a 10-win season and maybe a New Year's Bowl kind of setback.
Penn State
Head Coach: James Franklin (10th Season, 78-36)
LYR: 11-2 (7)
PR: 5
Prediction: 11-1
What's Ahead: This might be the best defense in the Big Ten as they return many starters from their top ten defenses in college football last season, allowing 18 points (10th), 111 yards rushing (16th), and 323 total yards (16th) per game. They even had a +11 turnover margin also putting them in the top ten. For as good as the linebacking corps is the offense is full of question marks. The Nittany Lions bring two of the best young backs in college football as Nick Singelton and Kaytron Allen ran for nearly 2,000 yards as Freshmen. With Sean Clifford gone though, the reins have been handed over to the top quarterback prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, Drew Allar. If he's as good as projected, Penn State can make some noise, but they still have to figure out how to beat both Michigan and Ohio State in the same season if they want to make it back to the Big Ten Championship.
Maryland
LYR: 8-5 (52)
PR: 38
Prediction: 8-4
What's Ahead: The Terrapins could be a thorn in the sides of many in the Big Ten if they can finally slay one of the giants on their schedule. It's tough to be the fourth-best team in a conference let alone one's division. Taulia Tagovailoa is back under center and he's hoping to turn the corner in his senior season to get a big win for Maryland. The schedule is favorable enough with Penn State and Michigan coming to College Park and they won't have to face Iowa, Wisconsin, or Minnesota. It still looks like an uphill battle that's simply to big to climb.
Michigan State
Head Coach: Mel Tucker (4th Season, 18-14)
LYR: 5-7 (87)
PR: 64
Prediction: 6-6
What's Ahead: This team wasn't very good in 2022 and it doesn't seem to have made much improvement on that front. They'll get a visit from future Big Ten foe Washington in Week 3 and if that isn't bad enough, they'll have trips to Iowa and Minnesota to go with their usual gamut of Penn State, Michigan, and Ohio State. It's looking to be another tough year in East Lansing, but I think a bowl game will be back on the table after a year hiatus.
Indiana
Head Coach: Tom Allen (7th Season, 30-40)
LYR: 4-8 (104)
PR: 92
Prediction: 4-8
What's Ahead: This team has a lot of young talent in key positions and it will be hard to find wins with this schedule. They do have Jaylin Lucas, who won Return Specialist of the Year as a Freshman, and that's great because he should be returning a lot of kicks after Ohio State, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Purdue repeatedly find the end zone.
Rutgers
LYR: 4-8 (108)
PR: 93
Prediction: 5-7
What's Ahead: The defense was surprisingly in the top 40 in total yards allowed, but the offense was so putrid that they ranked in the bottom ten in nearly every offensive category. The defense returns a lot of experience, but the offense still has some questions. Their growth will see some upsides and surprising results, but in the end, there will be more lumps and bruises than they can overcome.
West
Iowa
Head Coach: Kirk Faerentz (25th Season, 186-115)
LYR: 8-5 (44)
PR: 25
Prediction: 9-3
What's Ahead: Cade McNamara heads west to lead an offense that was 129th out of 132 teams in total offense. The reason this team was able to win more than they lost in 2022 was the fact that they also ranked second in total defense. Nine opponents scored 10 points or less against the Iowa defense that returns seven starters. They only have to worry about Penn State from the East on their schedule, so if they get any sort of offense going, look for them to represent the West as the sacrificial lamb to enter the playoffs.
Minnesota
Head Coach: PJ Fleck (7th Season, 44-27)
LYR: 9-4 (34)
PR: 31
Prediction: 8-4
What's Ahead: P.J. Fleck has been busy squashing reports that he runs a cultlike locker room that breeds a toxic culture, allegations he called, "baseless." On the field, he'll have to replace 14 starters on both sides of the ball, and with Wisconsin gaining momentum and Iowa maybe finding some offense, the Gophers could be sliding down the hill that is the Big Ten West. They could find themselves back in the lower middle of the Big Ten once the four new squads join in 2024.
Wisconsin
Head Coach: Luke Fickell (1st Season)
LYR: 7-6 (61)
PR: 37
Prediction: 10-2
What's Ahead: Luke Fickell to Wisconsin seems on brand and with the arrival of Tanner Mordecai from SMU to play quarterback, the Badgers may have made the right upgrades to be a threat to the East. The defense brings back nearly half the starters from a squad that was ranked in the Top 10 for total defense. Even better is that they get both Iowa and Ohio State coming to Camp Randall. It's really between them or Iowa for the West.
Illinois
Head Coach: Bret Bielema (3rd Season, 13-12)
LYR: 8-5 (50)
PR: 44
Prediction:7-5
What's Ahead: The Fighting Illini were the surprise of the Big Ten in 2022 as they jumped out to a 7-1 start, but faded with four losses in their final five games. They lost the Brown brothers (Sydney and Chase) who are both getting ready for the NFL season, but Isaiah Williams is back as the top receiver in a talented bunch. Consistency is key, but they'll have to avoid the MACtrap in Week 1 when the Toledo Rockets look to test their merit in Champaign.
Purdue
Head Coach: Ryan Walters (1st Season)
LYR: 8-6 (56)
PR: 55
Prediction: 6-6
What's Ahead: Head coach Jeff Brohm left for his alma mater and Ryan Walters took over the job at his alma mater to try and maintain the steady success at Purdue. The defense has been gutted, but they get a big arrival in Texas transfer Hudson Card to take over the quarterback position. It will likely be a rebuilding year, with a tough slate in 2023.
Nebraska
Head Coach: Matt Rhule (1st Season)
LYR: 4-8 (101)
PR: 79
Prediction: 6-6
What's Ahead: Matt Rhule hopes to have the kind of success he had at Baylor and not with the Carolina Panthers. Then again success in a previous job didn't help Scott Frost or Mike Riley be successful in Lincoln. Rhule has an empty cupboard when it comes to the offense and the defense was torched last year, but brings experience. They get to be one of the first tests for the Deion Sanders hype train when they head to Colorado in Week 2. Rhule had a quick turnaround at Baylor, so the blackshirt faithful are hoping that they didn't strike out for the sixth time since Tom Osborne retired in 1997.
Northwestern
Head Coach: David Braun (1st Season)
LYR: 1-11 (129)
PR: 106
Prediction: 2-10
What's Ahead: Turmoil and scandal rocked Evanston, which also saw the Wildcats fire their baseball coach for creating a similar toxic culture. The Wildcats will be set back after the departure of arguably one of the most successful coaches in school history. David Braun may only be here for one year before they find a long-term solution and that could setback the Wildcats even further. That and the addition of four more teams.
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